State Road 40 Project, Ocala National Forest, Marion County, Florida

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

State Road 40 Project, Ocala National Forest, Marion County,

Florida

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service and the Florida Department of

Transportation (Joint Lead Agencies) are issuing this notice to advise

the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be

prepared for a proposed highway project to improve State Road 40 in

Marion County, Florida. The agencies invite written comments and

suggestions from Federal, State, and local agencies and other

individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected by

the proposed action.

DATES: A draft EIS is expected to be completed in December, 2000. The

final EIS is scheduled to be completed in December, 2001.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that the full range of issues related to the

proposed action are addressed and all significant issues are

identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all interested

parties. You may request to be placed on the project mailing list or

direct questions, comments and suggestions to Ms. Heather Bradshaw-

Ells, Project Manager, Florida Department of Transportation, 719 S.

Woodland Blvd. DeLand, Florida 32720, telephone (904) 943-5391.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jim Thorsen, District Ranger,

Seminole Ranger District, Ocala National Forest, 40929-SR 19, Umatilla,

Florida 32784, telephone (352) 669-3153; Mr. Larry Perry, Florida

Department of Environmental Protection, District 3, Apopka, Florida

32714, telephone (407) 884-2000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action is to improve State Road

40 from the end of the existing four lanes in Silver Springs, Marion

County, Florida to County Road 314A in Marion County, Florida, a

distance of 10 miles. Improvements to the corridor are considered

necessary to provide for projected traffic demands. The route proposed

by the Florida Department of Transportation crosses a portion of the

Ocala National Forest in Marion County and involves a distance of 5.6

miles within National Forest Boundaries. The western leg segment (4.4

miles) is located adjacent to the boundaries of Silver River State Park

which is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The USDA Forest Service and Florida Department of Transportation will

be joint lead agencies in preparing the EIS. The Florida Department of

Environmental Protection and the United States Coast Guard will be

cooperating agencies. The Forest Supervisor for the National Forest in

Florida will decide whether or not to permit an additional easement

across national forest lands for the portion of the project within

national forest boundaries. The Florida Department of Transportation

will decide whether or not to improve the highway and if so, the extent

of the improvement.

Newsletter describing the proposed action and soliciting comments

will be sent to appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, and to

organizations and citizens who express interest in this proposal. In

addition, public meetings and workshops will be scheduled, and a web

site established to provide the opportunity for public input throughout

the process. Preliminary issues include the impacts of the project on

wildlife, wetlands, vegetative communities, visual resources, public

safety, and possible future development of related road projects.

Possible other alternatives under consideration include: taking no

action, widening to a four lane divided highway or alternative

corridors.

The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date

the Environmental Protect Agency publishes the notice of availability

in the Federal Register. The Forest Service believes, at this early

stage, it is important to give reviewers notice of several court

rulings related to public participation in the environmental review

process. First, reviewers of draft environmental impact statements must

structure their participation in the environmental review of the

proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the

reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.

v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that

could be raised at the draft environmental impact statement stage but

that are not raised until after completion of the final environmental

impact statement may be waived or dismissed by the courts, City of

Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin

Heritages, Inc., v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980).

Because of these court rulings, it is very important that those

interested in this proposed action participate by the close of the

comment period so that substantive comments and objections are made

available to the Forest Service at a time when it can meaningfully

consider them and

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respond to them in the final environmental impact statement. To assist

the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and concerns

on the proposed action, comments on the draft environmental impact

statement should be as specific possible. It is also helpful if

comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the draft statement.

Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft environmental

impact statement or the merits of the alternatives formulated and

discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council

on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the procedural

provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in

addressing these points.

Dated: August 18, 1999.

Marsha Kearaney,

Forest Supervisor, National Forests in Florida.

[FR Doc. 99-21995 Filed 8-24-99; 8:45 am]

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